by Lindsey Hart
So often it was dark in the room. Far too often. Asha’s eyes widened at the sight of his cock, hard and thick and veiny and slippery with his own arousal. She paused for just a second before she reached out, laid her hand gently on his hip and brought him in against her.
CHAPTER 12
Asha
Asha drew Colt to her, the vibrating ache inside of her something that only he could fix. Her hand slowly closed around his thick shaft. She moved her palm up and back, wetting him with droplets of his own desire. She was always amazed at how big he was. She never really saw him with lights on, or at least, full light like this.
I shouldn’t be here. I shouldn’t keep doing this to him. It was a useless argument that played over in her head, meaningless against the force of her desire. It was that dream. That damn dream. She wanted so badly to come close to feeling what she had in that dream. The raw ache, the perfection of their bodies joining to bring each other pleasure. And more… that slow burn in her chest that stayed with her long after their sweat had cooled and the sated pleasure ebbed away.
Colt groaned, the sound husky and as desperate as she felt. The fires of desire licked over her skin, scorching her from the inside out. She tightened her hand and his hips pressed forward. The head of his cock pressed up against her swollen sex. She almost wanted to wait, to run her hand up and down the length of him, perhaps use her mouth, torture him. She couldn’t wait. She needed him with a force she hadn’t felt before.
She guided him to her entrance and he pressed forward, filling her with the thick, round tip. Sparks shot through her blood and she couldn’t stop the little whimper that escaped her throat. She edged forward on the counter, pressing herself onto him, taking him inside of herself so very slowly.
He let her take the lead. She reached up, gripped his shoulders, dug her short nails in hard. Her hips arched forward and she took him all the way to the hilt. He waited, pulsing inside of her, filling and stretching her.
Colt stayed like that, unmoving, gloriously thick and impossibly hot inside of her. He reached down, his rough hand finding her breast. He pinched her nipple. Hard. She gasped as pleasure and pain flooded through her.
When Colt started to move inside her it was like a glorious light display burst behind her closed eyes. He caressed her nipple as he pulled out and thrust back in hard, demanding. Her legs closed around his waist, trapping him, pulling him in closer, begging for every single thick inch.
He bent his head and when he kissed her it was so violent it nearly hurt. His teeth grazed her lips, nipping her. His tongue darted into her mouth, claiming her, possessing her with a new brand of madness.
He filled her, faster, his hips pumping against her. Their bodies slapped together, their sweat and their arousal wetting her thighs.
His hands moved away from her breasts and gripped her waist hard to keep her from sliding all over the counter. Her bottom bit into the counter painfully, but the sensation wasn’t unwelcome. She leaned into Colt, flattening her breasts against his chest.
He broke the kiss, their breath raw and uneven. He buried his face into the side of her neck where his breath came in hot spurts. He thrust hard, harder with every long, hot stroke. She responded eagerly, shamelessly, her hips thrashing against him, bucking hard to take him deeper and deeper still.
Normally there was a slow climb to her climax. The pleasure built in stages, shades, until it blossomed over her, gently and sweetly.
The climax that stole over her tonight was shocking for its violence. It came without warning, the force of it nearly blinding her. Asha had never in her life experienced such a hard rush of pleasure. It hit her like a hurricane, enveloped her, knocked her over and sent her soaring, gasping, diving and falling. Wave after hard, hot wave pummeled her. She wanted to cry out, to scream, to let out the force of the feeling, but she couldn’t make a sound.
Colt found his own climax a moment later. He thrust harder, harder until he pulled out and spilled himself, hot on her thigh and belly. He trembled against her as she gripped him, her nails biting into the tight muscles of his shoulders.
“Come to bed with me, Asha,” Colt finally whispered huskily. That same raw need was still heavy in his voice. As though they hadn’t just done what they had done.
“Yes,” she responded. She didn’t have to think. The fires inside still burned bright and strong. The anticipation of having him take her again and again, until she was sore and achy for entirely different reasons, was too great to resist.
She let him wrap his arms around her waist. He carried her from the counter, down the hall to his bedroom, as though she weighed nothing at all. Her skirt fell over her legs and she couldn’t wait to strip it away. She didn’t want the barrier of any clothing between them.
Just before Colt set her down on the left side of his queen sized bed, Asha caught the glimmer in his eyes. The glimmer of hope that nearly broke her heart. She knew he wanted her to stay the night. That hope was always there, shining and half hidden.
She couldn’t bring herself to leave. She couldn’t bring herself to stay. No matter how much she wanted to, she knew she would be gone long before the sun came up.
CHAPTER 13
Colton
Penny called Colton the next morning. He woke far later than normal, blinking sleep from his eyes, reaching for his blaring phone. She wanted to know if he would saddle the new horse to see if she was rideable. Penny thought the horse was ready. She took a saddle well but she was still unpredictable. He’d helped out with the horses before. Penny was reluctant to put Asha up in the saddle of a horse no one knew well, though she rode far better than Colt himself. He totally agreed with the sentiment. He would rather be maimed than see a scratch on Asha.
Colt arrived at the farm, planning on just saddling the new mare and working in the corral with her. However, when he caught sight of Asha through the window of the cabin he knew was Gabriel’s, he changed his mind. He didn’t like it one bit that Asha was in the cabin alone with that pup. Not that Colt didn’t trust Asha. It was Gabriel he didn’t like.
Colt’s boots made dull thuds on the dusty old boards of the small porch. He raised his hand and rapped on the door. A second later, Asha was there. Her cheeks were flushed a bright pink and he was sure they darkened a shade when she saw him. He didn’t like the way her eyes flicked over him, like he shouldn’t be there.
“I’m going to take out the new mare. Try and ride her. Penny thinks it’s time.” He remembered what she’d said about her dream in the middle of the night. He’d sensed right away something was different when he found her in his kitchen, in the dead of the night, tackling dishes that were days old. That dream resonated with her. She’d been freer than ever before. Unafraid. She hadn’t held back. Right until the end, when reality came crashing down between them and she’d thrown on her clothes and retreated when he was sure she was going to break her own unstated rules and spend the night. “Care to join me?” He forced the words out, his throat raw and scratchy with emotion.
She smiled, illuminating her beautiful face. She’d probably been up with the sun. Had she even slept after she’d left his place? He doubted it. “Yes. I would love to.” She glanced behind her, but hesitated for only a second before stepping out onto the porch. She shut the door behind her and fell into step beside him as he led the way to the barns.
The new mare, Colt didn’t even know if she had a name yet, was already saddled and outside waiting, alone in the corral. Penny stood off to the side and Asha joined her.
The mare shook her head but seemed friendly enough. Colt approached the horse carefully, giving the mare time to get used to his presence. He extended a hand and eventually set it on the mare’s nose. She nuzzled him and he smiled, a little in disbelief that a horse just rescued from a neglectful situation could learn to trust again so easily.
Penny grinned. “Good luck, Colton, though I doubt you’ll need it. This one is truly a gem.”
“I think so too.” Colt took the
reins carefully, placed his foot in the stirrup and deftly swung up into the saddle. The horse stood placidly, hardly minding his weight. He gently nudged her forward, testing her. She responded to his commands though he was overly gentle. He hardly needed to guide her at all.
“Why don’t we take her out?” Colt wheeled around to face Asha. “You could get Cinnamon and we could ride together.”
She blinked. A shadow passed over her eyes and he wondered if she too was thinking about that dream of hers. Finally she nodded. “Okay. I’ll be right back.”
She walked off, into the barn and appeared a few minutes later, on Cinnamon, of course bareback. Colt didn’t like it one bit but he said nothing. He knew arguing with Asha was pointless. He would have better luck taming the wind.
Asha nudged Cinnamon into a trot. Colt followed suit, riding abreast. His mare didn’t seem to mind in the least so he kept pace. They reached the end of the corral and slipped through the open gate. Asha’s land extended for miles in either direction. Colt waited for her to make the first move.
Because she had no care for her own safety, Asha urged Cinnamon into a gallop. She laughed as she took off, hair streaming out behind her like a blonde banner. She tucked down low, becoming one with her horse as she rode hard, turning into a spec the longer Colt sat and watched her. His heart pounded in fear at her breakneck pace.
He urged his horse into a much slower cantor and, shaking his head, trailed after Asha.
She eventually doubled back, when she was done with her daredevil ride. She slid from Cinnamon’s back and the horse followed behind her like a puppy. Colt dismounted as well. His boots hit the straw that had yet to be swathed.
Asha stared at him, an unreadable expression on her face. He’d never seen that look before. Like when she looked at him she truly saw him. He stared back in question.
“I would say this is as close to a forest as we could get around here,” he mumbled. He meant it as a joke but Asha’s eyes darkened. He felt his body tighten in response. Her eyes grew stormy.
“Colt,” she whispered, voice heavy. “Everyone saw us leave. They’ll know we’re out here.”
He shrugged. “So what. What exactly are you afraid of, Asha? Do you think everyone doesn’t already know we’re a thing?”
That seemed to spark Asha’s ire. The embers of anger rose in her eyes. Colt liked that, the way she always burned with life. He just wished for one second she could let down her guard and just be unafraid to… be.
“I’m not afraid of anything,” she fired back. “It’s just not…. anything like my dream.”
Disappointment washed over him, but he blinked it away. He’d be damned if he ever let her know just how deeply she could wound him. Her rejection stung and she must have known it would. Her face reflected her regret but she turned a second later, escaped back to her horse and mounted quickly. She was off, racing through the fields again. Except this time he wasn’t sure if she was riding for the pleasure of it or to get away from whatever emotion he’d stirred in her.
CHAPTER 14
Asha
Gabriel was up early the next morning, obviously waiting for Asha to make an appearance. He’d dragged out one of the small kitchen chairs and sat on his porch.
It was a little after five in the morning and she couldn’t hide her surprise at having spotted him on her way to the barn. He waved her over and she had no choice but to go.
“Do you have time to look at the outline and sketches for the site, and hear some of my ideas?” Gabriel asked. His voice seemed to hold a hint of annoyance that they had been interrupted yesterday.
Asha thought guiltily back to that ride from the day before. Colt had been so hopeful. The tenderness in his eyes had shredded her soul. Part of her wanted to do whatever it took to make him happy, but the larger, more fearful part, the part of her that would always be wild and untamed, held back. He’d mentioned that stupid dream and she could tell he wanted to make it come true for her. What Colt didn’t understand was that she was never going to be able to capture that feeling. The feeling of being loved and loving in return. She was incapable of that. She knew Colt deserved better than what she had to give and she felt guilty right to her core that she couldn’t be that for him.
Gabriel cleared his throat and Asha slammed back to the present. He was wearing jeans a tight fitting black t-shirt. His blonde hair was slicked back and he was freshly shaven. His eyes roved over her body, over the simple brown dress and denim jacket she had on. He looked at her like she was something he’d never seen before and she had a hard time keeping herself from blushing under his direct gaze.
“Sure,” she stammered. “I can look at what you have and if you want you can tell me your ideas.”
Gabriel nodded. He stood and Asha followed him into his cabin. The lingering scent of bacon turned her stomach. It looked like he’d found time to finally go for groceries. She tried not to breathe in.
She watched carefully as Gabriel brought up some program on his laptop. He clicked through a couple screens and finally brought up the mock ups for her website. She stared at the pictures of her barn, the animals, farm equipment.
“Did you take those?”
Gabriel just nodded. He smiled, as he could tell from her voice that she was beyond pleased.
“You’re pretty good,” Asha admitted. She leaned in and watched as he scrolled through the pages. She didn’t have time to read through all the text but it looked like Gabriel had been busy.
“Do you like it?” He asked. She could tell that it really mattered to him that she approved.
“Yes... Yes I like it. I would like to hear your ideas too.” Asha said. She found that now, it was true.
Gabriel leaned back in his chair. His eyes sparkled at her obvious admiration for his work. “I had this idea... for a blog on the website or for social media posts... I thought we could profile the animals and their stories. How they came to be here, their personalities, their background... Kind of what we were talking about… not everyone understands why someone would want to rescue cows and goats and chickens. People can understand dogs and cats I think, but farm animals take a little more getting used to. I thought that we could introduce people to their personalities. Maybe that would help them care.”
“That’s what I was thinking too.” Had she told him that? She couldn’t remember.
“I thought that we could have a sponsor an animal button and people could donate money according to what it costs to feed and care for that animal. We could have a breakdown so people understand all the hard work the farm does and then they could donate to help cover the costs.”
“Sure. Set it up and I'll approve it when you're done. I’m excited to read over everything you have. Can you send me the link to the mock up or how does that work? Or do you have all the text somewhere for me to look over?”
“I can send you the link.” Gabriel nearly beamed and for some reason the expression on his face both stirred Asha and made her distinctly uncomfortable.
She stood quickly, eager to put some distance between them. Suddenly, when she looked at Gabriel all she could truly see was Colt, standing in that field next to his saddled mare, the raw hope in his eyes more than she could take. She’d cut him down with her refusal. He’d taken his mare back to the corral, handed her off to Penny and left.
“Thanks.”
She beat a quick escape out of the cabin. She didn’t have to explain to Gabriel that she had things she needed to see to. She was thankful that she did. It made her escape convenient.
As soon as she was out in the fresh morning air she noticed a cloud of dust on the road not far from her driveway. It grew closer and she recognized Aaron’s truck. She didn’t know him well, but he was much younger than her. Had just turned nineteen. He helped Colt out with his own farming.
She strode down the porch steps and walked over to meet the truck as Aaron pulled up. He looked so relieved to see her she wondered what could possibly be amiss first thing in the mo
rning.
Aaron turned off the truck and ran over to her, sweaty and out of breath. “It’s Colt,” he panted. “He’s popped his shoulder out and is being real difficult about it. Won’t let us take him to the hospital.”
Asha cursed silently under her breath, obviously surprising Aaron. The kid certainly had a lot to learn about the world if he was surprised but a quietly muttered aw hell. “I’ll come,” Asha assured him.
“Let me give you a ride.”
“Alright.” She only agreed because Aaron could take her right to wherever Colt was. The thought of him injured and in pain hurt her stomach. Fear crept up her throat, proving that she cared far more than she even let herself know. What the heck would I do without Colt? I do need him.
Before she could think more on that revelation, Aaron nodded and took off. She had no choice but to follow him and get in the passenger side of his old pick up. The thing was nearly as worn out as hers was.
He made quick work of the drive, pulling up into a field where they’d been cutting down hay. At the crack of dawn. Colt really didn’t believe in the whole grass growing under his boots idea.
There were tools scattered all over the ground, as clearly the machine had suffered a break down. Colt was sitting off to the side, on an upturned crate, his left arm tucked into his chest. He stared off into the distance and was so pale it scared Asha. Sweat dotted his forehead and ran down his face, but he didn’t seem to even notice.
“Colt,” Asha whispered, running up to him. She knelt down, careful not to touch him in front of Aaron, though she very much wanted to caress the hand that cradled his injured arm. She leaned in to inspect his shoulder, which she noticed right away, was indeed at an irregular angle. Her stomach rolled at the sight of it.
Colt looked at her then, as if he had just noticed she was there. His eyes were glazed over with pain. “Asha… I just put my shoulder out of joint. It’s not so bad, but this numbskull here won’t help me fix it and I can’t do it by myself.”